Tilda is a convenient website builder for quick launches. Creating a landing page in an evening, assembling a page from blocks without a developer—all of this works while the business is small. But there comes a point when the website builder starts to get in the way: limited catalog structure, weak SEO, inability to connect non-standard integrations, lack of multilingualism. The business has grown, but the website has not.
That’s when entrepreneurs start thinking about moving to WordPress. And they’re right to do so — but only if the migration is done correctly. Otherwise, you can lose your Google ranking, break links, and be left with an empty website for several weeks. In this article, the team at web studio Estetic Web Design shares a step-by-step algorithm that we have developed based on dozens of real projects.
Step 1. Audit the current website on Tilda
Before transferring anything, you need to understand what you have. Make a complete inventory: a list of all pages with URLs, menu structure, feedback forms, connected services (CRM, analytics, Facebook pixel), active domains, and subdomains.
Separately record SEO data—positions for key queries, pages with the most traffic, external links. This is your “gold mine” that cannot be lost during the move. If the site has not been audited before, now is the time to order SEO optimization for the site — this will help not only maintain current positions, but also identify growth points for the new site.
Also save all content: texts, images, videos, downloadable files. Tilda does not provide a convenient export option, so you will have to copy everything manually or use parsers. Save images in their original quality — compressed versions from Tilda will not work for the new design.
Step 2. Selecting a hosting provider and configuring the environment
WordPress is a self-hosted CMS, so you need your own server. It is crucial not to skimp on this. Slow shared hosting for $2 will negate all the benefits of migration. For an online store or business website with traffic of 500 visitors per day, choose VPS or cloud hosting with SSD drives and PHP 8.2+.
Choosing the right domain and hosting for your website is the foundation on which your new project will stand. Make sure that the hosting provider offers automatic backups, an SSL certificate, HTTP/2 support, and servers located in Europe. For Ukrainian projects, data centers in Germany, Poland, or the Netherlands work well.
Install WordPress on a subdomain (e.g., dev.vashdomen.com) or in a separate directory. This will allow you to develop the new site in parallel without affecting the existing one on Tilda. Customers will continue to use the old site until the new one is completely ready.
Step 3. Developing the structure and design on WordPress
Moving from Tilda is not about “copying” your old website, but rather an opportunity to rethink its structure. Tilda limits architecture with block logic, while WordPress allows you to create any hierarchy of pages, categories, and taxonomies.
If you had a product catalog on Tilda with two levels of nesting, you can now do full filtering, searching, comparing, and shopping cart functionality on WordPress. If you had a simple blog with five posts, you can now build a content strategy with categories, tags, and interlinking.
Full-fledged website development on WordPress involves creating a custom theme for your brand, responsive layout, and configuring the admin panel for your tasks. This is not a template, but a customized solution that will work specifically for your business.
Step 4. Transferring content and configuring functionality
Content is transferred in stages: first static pages (about the company, services, contacts), then dynamic content (blog, catalog, portfolio). For each page, check the meta tags, H1-H3 headings, and image alt texts for compliance.
At the same time, connect the necessary functionality. WordPress has thousands of plugins, but you should only install proven and necessary ones — each extra plugin slows down the site. Basic set: SEO plugin (Yoast or Rank Math), caching (WP Rocket or LiteSpeed Cache), security (Wordfence), forms (Gravity Forms or Contact Form 7), analytics (Google Site Kit).
If your website requires specific integrations—payment, delivery, CRM, chatbots—this can be implemented by installing additional modules and options. It is important to test each integration before launch, rather than after, when customers are already on the website.
Step 5. Setting up redirects — a critical step
This is a crucial technical step that determines the preservation of SEO positions. The URL structure on Tilda and WordPress is almost always different. If the old page had the address /insurance, and the new one became /services/insurance, Google will see it as a new page and reset all accumulated positions.
Solution: 301 redirects from old URLs to new ones. Create a correspondence table: old address → new address. Set up redirects via .htaccess or the Redirection plugin. Check each redirect manually — one missed line can cost months of work on promoting the site.
Separately check external links to your site via Ahrefs or Google Search Console. If authoritative resources link to pages with old URLs, redirects for them must work flawlessly.
Step 6. Testing before launch
Before switching the domain to the new site, conduct comprehensive testing. Check that all forms, buttons, and links are working. Test the site on mobile devices of different sizes. Check the loading speed using PageSpeed Insights—it should be higher than on Tilda.
Ensure that Google Analytics, Search Console, and Facebook Pixel are connected. Check the robots.txt file and the sitemap.xml file. Test the cache and image compression. If the site is multilingual, check the accuracy of the site translation and the language switcher.
Step 7. Launch and monitoring
DNS switchover day is stressful, but if you’ve followed the previous steps correctly, everything will go smoothly. Change the domain’s DNS records to the new hosting. DNS propagation takes from a few minutes to 48 hours, so keep the old site on Tilda active for another two or three days.
The first week after launch is a period of active monitoring. Keep an eye on Search Console: check for indexing errors and make sure redirects are working correctly. Check your rankings for key queries. A slight drop in the first few days is normal, but if your rankings don’t recover after two weeks, there is a problem with redirects or technical issues.
Once your site is stable, don’t leave it to its own devices. Regular technical support for your site — updating WordPress, plugins, monitoring security — is an essential part of owning a site on your own hosting. This isn’t Tilda, where everything is updated automatically.
Why it is better to entrust migration to professionals
Technically, the business owner can transfer the content themselves. But maintaining SEO positions, correctly configuring the server side, and testing everything on different devices and browsers is another level altogether. One mistake in redirects, and you lose the traffic you’ve been gathering for years.
Professional website migration from Tilda includes a full cycle: audit, development, content transfer, redirect configuration, testing, and post-launch monitoring. You get not just a new website, but a guarantee that your business will not lose a single customer during the move.
After migration, ideas for improvement often arise: add a feedback block, change the catalog structure, connect a new CRM. For such tasks, there is a website refinement service — specific changes without a complete overhaul, which allows you to develop the project gradually, in accordance with business needs.
Moving from Tilda to WordPress is not just a change of platform, but a transition to a whole new level. You get complete control over your website, unlimited SEO opportunities, and flexibility in design and functionality. Yes, the process requires attention to detail, but the result is worth it.
The main thing is not to rush and not to skip any steps. Auditing, preparation, development, testing, redirects, monitoring—every step is important. And if you need comprehensive turnkey website development with migration from a website builder, please contact us. We will make sure that your business does not feel the “move” and that your customers only see improvements.